Ministry of Justice Prison.
　　After many days, Wen Yanei, who has always been unbridled and admired by many people, finally saw the light of day from the Ministry of Justice Prison.
　　He went through a series of interrogations in there, and the transcripts and answers he made were a thick stack, and he was about to peel off a layer of skin when he got out. When the jailer opened the door and carried him out, Wen Haocheng thought he was going to be beheaded in a trance, and he burst into tears and cried.
　　But the jailer did not drag him to behead, but dragged him to a clean carriage, tidied his clothes, applied medicine, and wiped him. Soon, he changed from a prisoner in prison to a gorgeous dress, but he was still thin and looked panicked.
　　Until a familiar voice came from outside the carriage-
　　"This matter can make progress, thanks to the Queen Mother's guidance. I didn't think of such a simple and effective method. It can be said that the authorities are in chaos, and it's also thanks to you just now..."
　　This is the voice of his brother Wen Haolan.
　　When Wen Yanei heard this, tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt that it was so touching. His heart suddenly fell from his throat back into his stomach. He looked around and realized that the carriage belonged to their Wen family. However, he was used to extravagance and luxury, and his brother was the only one who was simple and cautious because of his position in the Ministry of Revenue. That's why he didn't recognize it for a while.
　　Wen Haocheng wanted to get off the car immediately, but suddenly heard the voice of the person who was traveling with Wen Haolan.
　　"I just happened to meet you, sir. It was a coincidence." Another person said.
　　This voice was not only familiar, but also so familiar that he felt a heat rushing up from the soles of his feet, and his teeth were itching - this was the voice of the eunuch's lackey, Zheng Junzhi!
　　Wen Yanei couldn't wait any longer, he suddenly opened the curtain and rushed down the carriage, and saw his brother walking with the scheming young man in person.
　　Wen Haolan saw him getting off the car, frowned and scolded: "Why did you get off? Haven't you suffered enough? You are so embarrassing!"
　　Wen Yanei immediately stepped forward, pointed at Zheng Junzhi and said loudly: "Brother, it was him who caused me to go to the Ministry of Justice! This man is cunning and scheming, he is not a good guy!"
　　Wen Haolan was stunned at first, then angrily said: "What nonsense are you talking about? If it weren't for Zheng Langjun's protection, you would have been beaten to death in the inner prison by now. How could you get out of the Ministry of Justice?!"
　　Zheng Yuheng was sandwiched between the two of them. He was still a green-clothed clerk, but when the official seal of the Ministry of Personnel was stamped and the decree was issued, he was promoted from one of the low-level directors of the Cangbu Division to the fifth-rank Chengwulang of the Ministry of Revenue... and this official position was not the decree of Dong Lingjiu, but an imperial decree.
　　Just this morning, Wen Haolan went to the palace to thank the Empress Dowager for her kindness and mentioned the head of the Ministry of Revenue who reported the incident. He believed that young and promising people should be promoted, and he submitted a memorial for this
　　purpose. At that time, the moment Dong Lingjiu heard him say this, he had already understood Wen Haolan's thoughts: Zheng Junzhi was the one who reported his own brother. Now that the Wen family has cleared the suspicion, not only will they not retaliate against this young head, but they will recommend him for promotion, which will be a good story inside and outside the court. First, it is beneficial to his reputation, which can be praised by everyone. Second, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Zheng Junzhi's origin is unpredictable and he is not an ordinary official. He can also please the Empress Dowager. Dong
　　Lingjiu blew on the emerald green water in the teacup, looked at the green buds that were slightly rotating and rising from the bottom, and said indifferently: "Go and give it to the emperor. I am tired."
　　Wen Haolan bowed his head and said yes, and left the Cining Palace.
　　When this memorial was forwarded to Guiyuan Palace, Meng Cheng had no doubts at all. He knew the whole story. Although he had never met Zheng Junzhi, he felt that Zheng Junzhi was observant, bold and careful, and was a promising talent. He approved it without thinking.
　　So Zheng Yuheng got a position that allowed him to attend court. Although he was still wearing green clothes and standing at the end of the officials, and perhaps he couldn't even see Meng Cheng's face clearly, this did not prevent him from feeling happy that his little wish had been fulfilled. After all, even if he was a low-ranking official of the fifth rank, as long as he stood in the Taiji Hall, it meant that he was infiltrating the officials little by little and becoming another trustworthy, pure and loyal minister of the Queen Mother in the court.
　　He was calm and even pulled Wen Haolan to persuade him, "Please don't be angry, sir. The young master may have some misunderstandings about me."
　　"What misunderstandings do I have about you!" Wen Yanei was so angry that he jumped up and down, "What did you say in the Cangbu Division that day? Do you want me to tell you, brother? You are obviously not an ordinary person, but Xu Xiang's confidant and treacherous flatterer, who came here to fight with us. Bah, we are the clean civil officials, and we look down on those who climb the eunuchs' way--" Wen
　　Haolan only hated that she didn't shut the mouth of this bastard when she sent someone to pick him up. Usually, when she asked him about the knowledge of doing practical things and governing the country, he knew nothing. Now he suddenly had an epiphany and learned to speak eloquently. Isn't Xu Xiang also the Queen Mother's man? This green and green boy knows nothing about "clean civil officials"!
　　He gritted his teeth and thought about the trouble his brother had caused. He thought that he had to teach him a lesson, so he raised his hand high and pretended to slap him.
　　Zheng Yuheng couldn't persuade him, so he had to say: "This is all my fault. I made a bet with the yanei that day, and I really had to win."
　　Wen Haolan put down his hand and turned his head to ask: "Mr. Zheng, what did he bet with you? This kid is a devil, a gambler. Just tell me what he won, and I will make him pay you back in the same amount."
　　Zheng Yuheng said reservedly: "Thank you for your concern, Lord Wen. I won."
　　"I said he has no future... What?" Wen Haolan paused and said in a daze, "You won?"
　　It's all because Zheng Yuheng was born too deceptive. Although Wen Haolan has become the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and is only second to the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Mr. Xu, his age is similar to Wei Shuman. He has just passed his thirties and can be regarded as a young talent.
　　With this experience in politics, Wen Haolan trusted his own vision too much. When he first saw Zheng Yuheng, he felt that he was gentle and elegant, like a bamboo, and he was full of the pure and upright Confucian scholar from top to bottom. In addition, this person had clear eyes and outstanding appearance, which made Wen Haolan mistakenly believe that he was an obedient person who only knew how to study and do things. How
　　could such a person win the bet against his brother?
　　Wen Haolan turned his head and saw that Wen Haocheng was embarrassed, and he was so angry that he wanted to die. He knew that what Zheng Yuheng said was true.
　　He was furious for a while: "You can't even win the bet. You have lived like a dog for more than 20 years. What else do I want you to do!"
　　Seeing this, Wen Yanei knew that his brother would not make the decision for him today. He was weak and couldn't run away. He was pressed down by his brother and slapped twice, crying in grievance.
　　As the saying goes, men don't shed tears easily, but they are sad until they are heartbroken. Today, he is very sad.
　　Minister Wen taught his brother a lesson and asked the people in the Wen Mansion to send him back to the carriage. Then he shook his sleeves, straightened his clothes, and said to Zheng Yuheng, "I'm sorry to embarrass you."
　　Zheng Yuheng said modestly, "I dare not. Lord Wen distinguishes between public and private affairs, and I admire you."
　　"Junzhi," Wen Haolan called him directly, "Although I promoted you, everyone in the court knows why I did it. In the eyes of everyone, you are still inseparable from the inner factory. If there are rumors outside, don't pay attention to it. We are all working for the country."
　　Zheng Yuheng replied, "Thank you for your advice, Minister. I understand."
　　Wen Haolan looked at him for a moment, exhaled, and said slowly: "I don't know what the interrogation result will be. I actually have a vague guess in my heart, but I dare not say it out loud. In this Ministry of Revenue, I have always been kind to others. There are only two types of people who really can't tolerate me."
　　"People who think that you have blocked his path to promotion." Zheng Yuheng took over gently, "And, people who think that you have threatened his position."
　　"That's right." Wen Haolan nodded in appreciation, "I know that you can report this matter and get out of the inner factory calmly. You must not be one of them, so I can tell you."
　　"The Minister will not do meaningless things." Zheng Yuheng asked, "You mentioned it specifically, do you have something to say?"
　　"Yes." Wen Haolan said. He took a few steps closer and whispered in his ear, "If it's the latter, since the Northern Expedition is still to be discussed, the Ministry of Revenue will have to settle the revenue and expenditure and sort out the year-end expenses, plus calculate and discuss the expenses of the Northern Expedition, submit reports and petitions... I'm afraid the higher-ups can't be replaced. Even if the Empress Dowager or the Emperor finds out who wants to harm me, I'm afraid they won't be able to do anything to him for a while."
　　Zheng Yuheng also had a plan in mind. He guessed that the other party was right and said, "Your Majesty... he hasn't been able to do anything to him for many years."
　　Wen Haolan took a step back, knowing that he had a clear understanding of the current situation in the court and the country, and pointed out He stopped talking and said, "Your promotion at this time may not be a good thing. You can be lazy and conservative as one of the chief officials of the Cangbu Department, and be vague in your words, but you are probably one of the people who really need to work hard as the Chengwulang of the Duzhi Department. This is a heavy and troublesome job. If you do it well, it is the guidance and grace from above. If you can't do it, it is your fault."
　　Zheng Yuheng raised his hand to salute, with a humble and gentle attitude: "It is my honor to be able to contribute to the court and receive the grace of Minister Wen's promotion. If it is not heavy and hard, I will not be able to eat and work."
　　People who have been in contact with him for a short time, such as Wen Haolan, will think that he is a smart and current person who is easy to manipulate. When they touch the thorns on Zheng Yuheng, they will be slow to realize that he is a difficult person.
　　Minister Wen did not realize this at the time, and patted him on the shoulder heavily to express his approval and reward.
　　He did not stay any longer and boarded the carriage of the Wen family. As soon as he got into the carriage, he suddenly looked back at him and said, "Junzhi, have I seen you somewhere before? I always feel that you look familiar."
　　Zheng Yuheng paused and replied, "This is the first time I have seen you, Lord Minister. Maybe we are destined to meet."
　　He said so, but he silently added in his heart: "The last time I saw you, Lord Minister, was at the wedding banquet of the prince... But I only sat at the same table with the retired old adults. You and I only met once. Isn't your memory too good?"
　　...
　　Cining Palace.
　　As expected, Dong Lingjiu heard a name from Xu Xiang that she expected, but she didn't want to hear.
　　Her fingertips fiddled with the chess pieces and said lightly, "This is good. The emperor is worried that he has no reason to kill him. He must hold this handle... But at this critical juncture, there are still many places where this person can be used."
　　This is the two-sided nature of corrupt officials. Embezzlement by falsifying accounts is a crime that is indeed unforgivable, but he has run the Ministry of Revenue for many years. In addition to Wen Haolan, there are many of his students and former officials in the six departments, especially in the Ministry of Revenue. This is one of the reasons why she and Meng Zhen agreed to make an exception for Wen Shilang... The affairs of the granaries and expenditures of the country and the treasury accounts must not be controlled by one person and become his one-man show.
　　If it was the middle of the year, there was no relief for Fuzhou and no discussion of the northern expedition, then Dong Lingjiu thought that this person could be killed, but it happened to be the cold winter when there were so many complicated things, and she had no choice but to kill him.
　　Sitting opposite Dong Lingjiu was Queen Wang, and Wang Wanrou was also good at chess.
　　Because the Queen Mother was in power, there was no rule in the Xining and Huining generations of the Great Yin that the harem was not allowed to interfere in politics. Those who had stood up to advise were already in the underworld with the late emperor. Over time, Queen Wang and others did not think there was anything wrong with them listening from the side, although the Queen Mother could not understand what her mother was talking to Xu Bingbi.
　　Xu Xiang knelt not far away to report the matter.
　　He said, "I have put down the transcript and have not yet reported it to the three courts."
　　Dong Lingjiu said "hmm", put down his chess piece, and called again, "Xuan Jingyun."
　　"Well." Xuan Duzhi stood out from the side, bowed with a smile on his face and waited for orders, "Please give me your orders."
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "Shang Kai is gone, and the emperor is not happy. Xu Xiang is busy, and you are not here to write in front of the emperor, so who is serving you?"
　　Xuan Jingyun said, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, it's Chen Qinghang."
　　"You have been waiting here for a whole day today. You should have informed Xu Xiang a long time ago and knew that I had to ask you." Dong Lingjiu said, "How is Concubine Xu in the palace?"
　　When mentioning Concubine Xu, Wang Wanrou's hand trembled slightly and she looked ashamed.
　　As Dong Lingjiu said, Xuan Jingyun had already prepared. He said, "Master Xu not only recovered her health, but when I went to see her the other day, she had gained two circles of weight and looked radiant. There was also a tablet of longevity for the queen in the room."
　　Dong Lingjiu said nothing, but waited for Wang Wanrou to continue playing chess.
　　During the moment when she was thinking silently, the eunuch outside the palace announced that Zhao Qing stepped forward and whispered, "My queen, Princess Zhaoyang came to the palace to visit you."
　　Dong Lingjiu took a break from her busy schedule and played chess with the queen for a while, and Yingying happened to come into the palace. She suddenly remembered that her youngest daughter seemed to have submitted such a request. Yingying said that she would recover from her foot injury before the New Year and live in the palace for the New Year, otherwise the princess's mansion would be deserted and boring.
　　Dong Lingjiu was talking about state affairs with the young doctor Zheng at that time. Although she had heard it once, she didn't listen to it very much, so she agreed casually. But her memory has gradually deteriorated in recent years, so she didn't think about it for a while.
　　It was so cold that Yingying couldn't go back the same way. Besides, Dong Lingjiu wanted to find out her progress, so he said, "Go and take the princess to the palace. She hasn't seen the queen for a long time, right?"
　　The second half of the sentence was asked to Wang Wanrou.
　　Wang Wanrou said softly, "I haven't seen the princess for a long time either. Her Highness is a busy person."
　　"She is different from you. She is spoiled and irritable, and always has some thoughts of doing something wrong."
　　When Dong Lingjiu said this, Meng Zhaiyue happened to cross the threshold with her skirt lifted and walked into the palace.
　　She naturally heard the words and said in a dissatisfied voice, "Daughter, did you hear what you said? Mother only cares about my brother and sister-in-law, not Yingying."
　　She had just recovered from her foot injury and walked slowly. Meng Zhaiyue saw Xu Xiang and Xuan Jingyun in the palace at a glance... To be precise, she only saw Xu Xiang.
　　The princess wore a brocade silk skirt, a narrow-sleeved red rabbit fur jacket, and a pair of pearl banners on her hair. The pearl banners trembled slightly, highlighting her delicate face and plump and slender figure.
　　The maid took off the cloak on her shoulders and adjusted the hem of her skirt and belt. Meng Zhaiyue "happened" to Xu Xiang's side and saluted to her mother: "Your son greets you. Your mother is in good health and has a long life. She can protect Yingying from illness and disaster for the rest of her life."
　　She bent slightly, and the hem of her brocade and gold-embroidered skirt was like a blooming petal. The extremely delicate fabric brushed the ground and also brushed the cold back of Xu Xiang's hand when he knelt to report.
　　His breathing stagnated, and the skin on the back of his hand instantly burned hot. After
　　paying her respects, the princess did not immediately walk to the queen mother, but stood there and greeted Queen Wang again. Queen Wang returned the greeting in a friendly manner.
　　When she turned to face the emperor's sister-in-law, the shoes with exquisite embroidery on the bottom of her skirt moved slightly, and the edge of her foot accidentally pressed on the finger that had retreated half an inch... It was just a small edge, and she didn't feel anything.
　　Meng Zhaiyue seemed to notice it at this time, and she said "Ah", and hurriedly showed concern, and said in a crisp voice: "Xu Bingbi, I didn't notice you, I was really careless."
　　... This little ancestor.
　　Xu Xiang exhaled, and his voice was suppressed very calmly: "Your Highness, please have mercy, I..." Before
　　he finished speaking, Meng Zhaiyue bent down and looked at the place where his hand was stepped on, and immediately a fragrant breeze blew on her face. She deliberately said: "I have always been kind-hearted, so I don't care about the lives of you servants. If it were my brother, he would still complain that your hand hurt his foot... I'll show you."
　　She pretended to have this attitude, and Xu Xiang was relieved. Queen Wang on the side thought that this statement was very consistent with the princess's temperament, and she no longer paid attention.
　　Yingying said that even her brother was so ruthless, and even Wang Wanrou was almost used to it.
　　Meng Zhaiyue pulled up his hand and took the opportunity to carefully examine the hand that held the pen. The fingers were slender, but there were a few thin calluses on it. There was no sign of the "factory supervisor living a life of luxury" as rumored outside.
　　The princess "forced" him and looked at his hand casually on the surface. She felt that this man who was like a wooden sculpture on weekdays was evasive, and she must be uneasy in her heart. Then she loosened her fingers restrainedly, kept a distance so that he would not be panicked, and stood up and said: "I don't know what important matter you are talking about with my mother. Why don't you let me listen too?"
　　Xu Xiang bowed his head and remained silent until Dong Lingjiu allowed it.
　　Until Dong Lingjiu made another move, Queen Wang was young and her chess skills were still inexperienced, and she saw that the situation was over.
　　She was distracted and didn't look at the two of them. She just said, "Yingying, come here."
　　Meng Zhaiyue heard her mother calling her, stopped thinking at the right time, turned her head and answered, and turned away.
　　Her skirt swept again, and her forbidden steps bumped, and the fragrance on her body suddenly left. In Xu Xiang's vision, he could only see a swaying skirt, like the peach blossoms blooming in Jinfang Garden in spring, flying and falling in the wind.
　　Meng Zhaiyue walked over and sat on the chair prepared by Aunt Ruixue. She reached out and picked up the sleepy imperial cat from under the chessboard and kissed it hard: "I think the emperor's sister-in-law is going to lose this game, right, Aiai?"
　　Aiai stretched out her claws to her cheek and said coquettishly: "Meow--"
　　The author has something to say:
　　Aiai (clip sound): Meow meow--
　　Xiao Zheng who works outside:? I always feel that someone is seducing the queen behind my back.